A crypto meme coin, thematically linked to the Vatican’s 2025 Holy Year mascot, experienced a significant price jump following the recent passing of Pope Francis. This event also triggered the creation and trading of several other meme tokens centered around the late pontiff.
Data from tracking platform GMGN.Ai indicates the Solana-based token, known as LUCE, surged by as much as 134%. Within a 24-hour period, its value peaked at $0.02517 before settling closer to $0.015 at the time of reporting.
LUCE, taking its name from the official mascot for the upcoming Holy Year, operates as an unofficial digital asset. It first appeared in late October 2024 following the mascot’s reveal but holds no formal ties to the Vatican or the Pope, yet it captured considerable trader interest.
Shortly after its debut, LUCE saw its market capitalization exceed $80 million. This marked it as a notably large token launch originating from the pump.fun platform at the time.
Presently, the LUCE token holds a market cap estimated at $15 million, supported by $1.8 million in liquidity. Approximately 44,750 wallets hold the token, which generated daily trading volumes exceeding $40.7 million. However, amidst this activity, GMGN.Ai has flagged the token with a 100% rug pull risk warning.
[LUCE meme coin surges more than 120% following news of Pope Francis’ death, April 21, 2025 | Source: GMGN.Ai]
This sharp rise contrasts with the token’s performance over the previous week, where it experienced a decline of nearly 40%. The catalyst for the reversal appears to be confirmation of Pope Francis’s death from double pneumonia on April 21 around 7:35 AM local time, as reported by Reuters.
The news came shortly after the Pope had made a public appearance following a lengthy 38-day hospital stay for pneumonia treatment. He had delivered a special blessing on Easter Sunday, his first since Christmas.
The Pope’s passing seemingly spurred the creation of additional Solana-based meme coins themed around him. Data platform GMGN.Ai noted a token named “Francis” launched shortly after the news, quickly gaining over 115%. Other newly listed tokens included variations like “POPE,” “RIP POPE,” and “RIP,” often featuring images related to the late pontiff.